Former Lions' QB Hipple coming to Midland to talk about depression

Former Detroit Lions' quarterback and current mental health advocate Eric Hipple signs an autograph following one of his talks on depression and suicide awareness. (erichipplespeaks.com)

Former Detroit Lions' quarterback and current mental health advocate Eric Hipple signs an autograph following one of his talks on depression and suicide awareness. (erichipplespeaks.com)

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Former Detroit Lions' quarterback and current mental health advocate Eric Hipple signs an autograph following one of his talks on depression and suicide awareness. (erichipplespeaks.com)

Former Detroit Lions' quarterback and current mental health advocate Eric Hipple signs an autograph following one of his talks on depression and suicide awareness. (erichipplespeaks.com)

Former Lions' QB Hipple coming to Midland to talk about depression

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Over the years, local civic leader Kurt Faust has seen and experienced more about depression than he probably cares to. And later this month, he is hoping that former Detroit Lions' quarterback Eric Hipple can raise some awareness for a general public which Faust feels is largely ignorant about the issue of depression, particularly as it relates to men.

Hipple will give a talk focused on removing the stigma surrounding mental health and emphasizing the importance of recognizing and treating the warning signs of depression, substance abuse, and suicidal intentions. The talk will be held on Wednesday, April 25, from 7-8:15 p.m. at Midland Reformed Church on N. Saginaw Road, and it is being sponsored by Step Up, a nonprofit organization created by Faust in 2011 to "restore integrity in all parts of our culture," according to Faust.

"It's been in the back of my mind for a while," Faust said of bringing Hipple to Midland. "I've been following his career and his downfall since 1998 when he had his own suicide attempt. I deal with depression myself, and it's something that men don't talk about and people in the community don't talk about. But it's been linked to so many other illnesses and societal issues that it's time we add some light to the conversation (about depression)."

Faust, who formerly coached football at Dow High and was also a counselor at Dow for 18 years, said that dealing with depression among students and student-athletes, as well as his own depression issues, has been "an ongoing daily thing."

"When I was coaching, I saw athletes going through depression. I could see the early stages of (mental health problems)," he said. "We go through huge transitions in our lives, and we wonder what's missing, and a lot of times it's early-onset depression creeping into our lives."

Hipple was a quarterback for the Lions from 1980-89 after which he began a successful insurance business and also provided pregame commentary for FOX Sports from 1995-2000. He attempted to take his own life in 1998 by jumping from a vehicle driven by his wife and going 70 miles per hour on I-275 near Canton, but he survived that episode with non-life-threatening injuries.

"He was basically just keeping (his depression issues) to himself, and finally he had just had enough, and he ended up jumping out of a car," Faust noted.

Two years later, Hipple's 15-year-old son committed suicide at home, and shortly afterward, Hipple was arrested for drunk driving and spent nearly two months in jail. In the aftermath of all of that adversity, Hipple became a mental health advocate. He served as an outreach coordinator for the University of Michigan's Depression Center for a few years and is currently an outreach specialist for the Eisenhower Center's "After the Impact" program which serves military veterans and former NFL players suffering from neuro-cognitive disorders.

In 2009, Hipple published his autobiography, entitled Real Men Do Cry, which details his own battle with depression and substance abuse. According to Faust, Hipple will have copies of his book available and will sign autographs following his talk on April 25.

Faust added that it is important to open up lines of dialogue when it comes to depression, particularly among men, since males in our society have been conditioned to be "tough" and not admit weakness. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide is the 10th-leading cause of death in the United States.

And according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, men are more than three times as likely as women to commit suicide.

"The important thing is really getting people to communicate and talk about depression and (for people who suffer from depression) to be open with their families and be aware of counseling and therapy (options)," Faust said.

Faust said that his Christian faith has helped him deal with his own depression, but he was quick to add that people who suffer from depression should not try to go it alone.

"You have to have a support system," he said. "You have to be open about it, and other people in your life have to be able to recognize when you're (struggling) and when they need to step in."

Faust noted that Hipple's talk is not a faith-based initiative and that the event is being held at Midland Reformed Church because that venue provides ample seating.

"I would hate to have someone come in who really needs to hear (Hipple) speak and then have to turn them away (because of lack of seating)," Faust said. "When we were looking for the right size (venue), Midland Reformed was gracious enough to step in and say, 'Just have it here.'"

Faust said that the talk is a free event, while noting that the recommended audience would be middle school age to adult.

"I think it'll be a good draw," he said. "There are a lot of fans here (in Midland) who can relate to him as a (former) Lion, but there are also a lot of people who can learn something else about our world as well."

For more information about Hipple's talk, contact Faust at 989-488-0741.